Annual accounts

New French accounting regulations for organizations appealing for public contributions means they must use a new method for their annual accounting of how they employ their resources. Reporters Without Borders’ use of its resources during the year ending 31 December 2013 is summarized below according to the new regulations.

Income

Income for 2013 adds up to 3.609 KE (vs 3.509 KE in 2012).

RWB’s two main sources of funding in 2013 originate from: other private funding, namely the sale of publications and other merchandising (above all photo albums), which represented 33% of resources, down slightly from 36% in 2012, grants and public contributions, which accounted for 27% of resources in 2013, compared with 20% in 2012. This important increase can mainly be explained by funds dedicated to the implementation of projects focused on the Syrian crisis and to activities promoting the defense and liberty of information in Tunisia. Grants and other public donations mainly come from the following institutions: European Union (IEDHR) and Agence Française de Développement.

Resources derived from the generosity of members of the public are stable and represent 12.6%. They are composed of donations received by private individuals from France and abroad, as well as from legacies. RWB benefited in 2013 from two life insurances amounting to a total of
237 KE. In 2013, resources derived from the public’s generosity were used: in part to finance public fund-raising activities, and to carry out activities with a social benefit.

Sponsorships and resources from projects funded by foundations representing 14% in 2012, now account for 15.6%.

Funding from other sources represented 4.5% of the total (0.5% more than in 2012). This funding consisted mainly of payments from insurance royalties, from the partnership with the city of Strasbourg for the 2013 edition of the World Forum for Democracy, income from services to RWB International, and revenue of financial origin (mainly currency transactions).

How it was spent

3.761 KE of expenditures for 2013 (vs 4.103 KE in 2012).

Activities with a social benefit accounted for 78% of RWB’s use of resources in 2013, namely 2.971KE, vs 79% in 2012. RWB’s activities with a social benefit are of two kinds: provision of information, advocacy and awareness-raising based on the work of RWB’s researchers and its correspondents (approximately 140) worldwide focusing on drawing attention to violations of freedom of information. The awareness-raising uses methods such as press releases, investigative reports and communication campaigns. In 2013, the main subjects of the campaigns were the winter Olympic Games in Sootchi, the denunciation of the predators of liberty of the press, and more particularly bloggers in Vietnam. This component also includes the publishing of three photo albums per year that highlight the importance of the work of photojournalists and media freedom. In 2013, Reporters Without Borders’ activities in this area also included: Internet censorship bypassing, the work of journalism in zones of conflict, or while covering elections.

The work of informing, advocacy and awareness-raising is also relayed by RWB’s international sections and its offices in Washington, Brussels, Tunis (since 2011) and Tripoli (since January 2012). The costs of these international branches contributed to the costs of RWB’s international activities with a social benefit.

Assistance and support for journalists, bloggers and media: Reporters Without Borders had for several years a unit dedicated to this type of assistance. The grants made in 2013 helped journalists to flee abroad when they were in danger and paid the medical bills, legal fees or basic living expenses of journalists in serious difficulty. Support for news media that target the world’s most closed countries continued with funding for Radio Erena, an independent radio station based in Paris and that broadcasts in Eritrea. The main beneficiaries of this activity are journalists, bloggers and media based in other countries, and is therefore regarded as being carried out abroad.

Fund-raising costs represented 12,3% of RWB’s expenditure in 2013 (13% in 2012). They included: expenses arising from public fund-raising activities (two paper mailings in 2013 and, the cost of printing and sending Libre Court, published quarterly and destined to members and donors, and expenses (including salary and travel expenses) linked to fund-raising from private foundations and public institutions.

The reduction of costs of fundraising is the consequence of less requiring the services of online fundraising. Operating costs remain at 8% of total expenditure.

In 2013, Reporters Without Borders received: free media advertising for its activities worth €991,000 (against €297,000 in 2012), and donations in kind were worth €5,000.